Jay Gonzalez releases AI-created animated short film highlighting the immigrant experience, made entirely with Sora2 to bring stories to life.

HARRISBURG, PA / ACCESS Newswire / November 26, 2025 / Jay Gonzalez - creator of the YB After Dark podcast - has released his first animated short film, Life Of An Immigrant In America (watch here). The eight-minute film was designed entirely using OpenArt's Sora2 A.I., an AI animation tool that allows creators to generate entire scenes and characters digitally, marking a step into a new era of accessible, creator-driven storytelling.

Jay Gonzalez Image

The film follows the emotional journey of an unnamed legal immigrant who leaves Mexico to reunite with the mother who abandoned him at age two. Upon arriving in the United States, he confronts the complicated and often harsh realities of the American immigrant experience. Through intimate, character-driven moments, the film highlights millions of immigrant stories often left untold.

Gonzalez, a student at Messiah University - a Christian college in Pennsylvania - used the project to explore his faith in a way that felt authentic, despite not being an active churchgoer. "This film is my way of living out ‘love thy neighbor,'" Gonzalez says. "I wanted to humanize immigrants and give voice to people who rarely get one."

A lifelong anime fan, Gonzalez has dreamed of creating original animation since his teens. With Sora2, he was able to bring that vision to life without the financial barriers that typically come with animation production. He hopes this project is only the beginning.

"Sora2 allowed me to make something I once thought impossible," he adds. "I plan to create more animated short films, and one day I hope to collaborate with studios like MAPPA or Ufotable to continue pushing this medium - and conversations about cultural respect - forward."

Media Contact:
Jay Gonzalez
Email: ybafterdark@gmail.com
Social: @ybafterdark

SOURCE: YB After Dark